They are in the IPL Finals!

Who would have thunk.

They have turned it around full circle.

From bottom of the table to a shot at the Cup.

If Rajasthan Royals were a fairytale last season, Deccan is one this season.

Delhi lost it after the mid-way tactical bullshit. Just could not get the ball away.

Then the Adam Gilchrist show kicked in!

And what a show it was.

More on that later.

Till then, rejoice the Deccan Charger's Charge!

Deccan Chargers have never beaten the Delhi Daredevils in 4 matches between the two teams.

Will it be any different today in the 1st IPL Semi Final?

Delhi have finally understood what I have been talking about all along - open with Gambhir and Warner, Sehwag come one down.

They tried it last match and it worked and they're doing the same today.

Deccan's fielding first, which is a bit surprising in a pressure game.

Gilchrist did say that it was their strategy, and it might as well be, but I think it has someting to do with the Daredevils being very good at chasing.

With the 2 batting line ups of Deccan and Delhi, it promises to be a high scoring match.

Stranger things have happened though in the IPL.

Can Deccan do it?

Can they beat Delhi?

Can they get a crack at the title after finishing at the bottom last season?

Here's hoping they can.

Gambhir GONE and Game ON!

In the race for a spot in the IPL Semi Finals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore were once in a position from where they had to win every single match in order to qualify.

They did just that starting with their victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders and going on to win their next 3 games as well, making it 4 wins on the trot.

Their next 3 wins came against:

Chennai Super Kings

Delhi Daredevils

Deccan Chargers

That's right, the other 3 semi finalists.

Food for thought?

The 4 semi finalists were disclosed yesterday after the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab royally messed up.

Who the semi finalists were going to play against was left to be decided on the final day of the group matches.

We know that now with the Delhi Daredevils taking on the Deccan Chargers, and Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Before I give my few cents on these matches, I would like to know if anyone predicted these 4 teams to be in the semis.

Did you?

I've seen a number of predictions on blogs and in the comments, but I'm not sure if I came across one that got all the 4 teams - DDD, CSK, RCB, and DC - right.

For if anyone did, they made one hell of a prediction considering that the Royal Challengers and the Chargers were the bottom two teams in the IPL last year.

Who would have thought they would make it to the semis this time round.

Semi Final 1: Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers

What is the History: They have played 4 matches in the IPL so far and Delhi has won all of them!

What is the Present: Delhi started this year as the favorites, and they played like them too. While Deccan have been the turnaround team of the season after their woeful 2008.

Some Thoughts: It says a lot about Delhi that they have managed to top the table without Sehwag or Gambhir being in any kind of form. On the other side though, Gilchrist and Gibbs have been one of the best opening pairs in the IPL.

Both teams have very strong batting line ups - probably the best in tournament, hence at the end it will all be about whose bowling does better.

RP Singh is the leading wicket taker in the IPL, while Nehra is 2nd on the list. Ojha and Nannes are both among the top 10 wicket takers with the same number of wickets.

That leaves very little to chose between the 2 teams.

What is the Future: The tide has to turn so I say that Deccan will win their first ever match against Delhi and make it to the finals, making a complete turnaround!

Semi Final 2: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

What is the History: Even stevens, with both teams winning 2 matches apiece out of the 4 they have played each other in. Surprisingly Bangalore beat Chennai last year as well as this year.

What is the Present: Chennai were always expected to make it into the semis, however Bangalore have been the surprise element. Their luck changed completely as soon KP left, and with Kumble at the helm they look like a completely different team.

Some Thoughts: You talk about Sehwag-Gambhir, Gilchrist-Gibbs, and the likes, but Chennai have 1 man who is equivalent to an opening pair all by himself - Matthew Hayden! He stands far ahead of the rest of the batsmen when it comes to the number of runs scored in the IPL this year; the gap would have been more had he not rested out the last 2 matches.

For Bangalore to have any chance against them, they need to get Hayden early.

Bangalore have chopped and changed their opening pairs as well as their batting line up, giving them an uncertain look. Their bowling has also lacked the bite despite a few bursts here and there from Kumble and Praveen Kumar.

Chennai look far too strong in front of them.

What is the Future: Talking about turnarounds, a Deccan-Bangalore final will make it just that! The bottom 2 from 2008, ending as the top 2 in 2009. So while I think they don't stand a chance, here's rooting for Bangalore.

I'm postponing my Q4 report till after the finals, because it doesn't make sense to do one now with just 3 matches to go.

But as far as the Orange and Purple Cap are concerned, it is the left handers yet again who are in contention for that. Its highly doubtful that anyone will overtake Hayden in the runs tally, while RP Singh and Nehra are in the race for the purple one.

Quarterly Reports: Q1, Q2, Q3.

I don't want to see grumpy old Yuvraj Singh anywhere near the IPL semi finals, but I like the sight of Priety Zinta waving a flag and jumping around.

I feel very sorry for Brendon McCullum and Saurav Ganguly, but I don't want the Kolkata Knight Riders to win another match in the tournament.

I want to see Royal Challengers Bangalore in the semi finals, but I cannot stand the sight of Jacques Kallis batting and Rahul Dravid trying so hard.

I want Dhoni to win, win, and win, but I hate the sight of Chennai's uniform and for some reason I just don't like the team.

I don't want to see the Mumbai Indians in the semi finals, but I hate to see Sachin Tendulkar lose match after match.

I don't think the Rajasthan Royals deserve to win the IPL this year, but I want Shane Warne to do it all over again.

I want the Delhi Daredevils to win it this year, but I don't want to see the Deccan Chargers lose it.

I want the Deccan Chargers to become the IPL champions this year, but I want Virender Sehwag to lift the IPL trophy!

Am I alone in this estranged boat?

Lalit Modi has called for an investigation into the match played between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Someone has brought to Modi's attention that the match might have been fixed, while the BCC! has brought to my attention that the match might have been fixed.

The amusing thing is that the reason explained in this article, for the match being potentially fixed, is that Brad Hodge was not playing and was sitting in one of the hospitality boxes.

What connection exactly does sitting in a hospitality box and match fixing have?

And while they're at it, i.e. investigating match fixing in the IPL, maybe they should pay some attention to last night's match as well - the one that Deccan Chargers lost to the Delhi Daredevils.

Well if scoring 52 runs of the final 4 overs to win a match cannot be achieved without some match fixing, then how can 7 wickets for 12 runs be?

And why stop there?

Investigate today's match as well.

Because it looked like some players of the Royal Challengers Bangalore had fixed the match and wanted to lose it.

While some of them pulled a Rashid Latif and snatched a victory from the Chennai Super Kings.

Go on, give the ACU, or whoever the anti-corruption lot are at the IPL, something to do.

Yesterday was the 25th day of the IPL, which hosted the 41st and 42nd match of the league, thus ending the 3rd Quarter of the group stages.

Deccan Chargers dominated Q1 and Q2, ending both quarters at the top of the table.

However at the end of Q3, it is the Delhi Daredevils that are sitting pretty on top, having lost only 2 matches, the lowest among all teams, thus far.

They have also played the least number of matches, hence are in a very strong position with the most points and matches in hand.

Despite their dominance, none of the Daredevil's top order batsmen - Gambhir, Sehwag, Dilshan, De Villiers, or Warner - feature among the top 5 run scorers at the end of Q3.

Leading Batsmen
1. Matthew Hayden (CSK) - 9 inn, 426 runs at 47.33
2. Suresh Raina (CSK) - 9 inn, 309 runs at 34.33
3. JP Duminy (MI) - 9 inn, 297 runs at 49.50
4. Yuvraj Singh (KXIP) - 11 inn, 296 runs at 32.88
5. Jacques Kallis (RCB) - 10 inn, 274 runs at 30.44

Hayden firmly holds on to the number 1 position, just like he did in Q1 and Q2. Only this time he has stretched his lead further, and is more than a 100 runs ahead of the next best batsman. It doesn't look like anyone will be catching up with him by the time the IPL ends, and he will certainly be taking the Orange cap back to Australia.

Raina also continued his good form in Q3 and ended the quarter in the same position he held at the end of Q2. His and Hayden's form has finally managed to get the Chennai Super Kings into the top 4, something they had not managed in the previous 2 quarters. CSK even topped the table briefly during this period and are now sitting at 2nd place.

Duminy breaks into the top 5 for the first time this quarter on the back of some powerful performances for the Mumbai Indians that included 4 50s, which are the most among all batsmen. His form has been instrumental in driving MI into the top 4 and they end Q3 with an eye on a semi-final spot.

Yuvraj finally found some form this quarter and ends it in the top 5 after 2 50s. He has not been as devastating as he should have been in the IPL, and his lack of consistency has resulted in KXIP staring at an exit before the semis.

Kallis holds on to his position within the top 5, but just barely. He was 4th at the end of Q2, and this time slips a notch lower. Only 9 runs separate Kallis and the 3 men that follow him - AB De Villiers, Adam Gilchrist, and Sachin Tendulkar.

Its interesting to note that the top 4 run scorers in the IPL at the end of Q3 are left handers.

Another interesting fact is that after Raina and Yuvraj, the next best Indian batsman is Sachin - no Rohit Sharma, no Gambhir, no Sehwag, no Dhoni, no Pathan, but Sachin. Is the petition still running?

Leading bowlers
1. RP Singh (DC) - 10 inn, 16 wickets at 14.93
2. Lasith Malinga (MI) - 10 inn, 15 wickets at 15.13
3. Ashish Nehra (DDD) - 8 inn, 14 wickets at 16.14
4. Yusuf Abdullah (KXIP) - 9 inn, 14 wickets at 17.21
5. Laxmipathy Balaji (CSK) - 8 inn, 12 wickets at 16.41

RP Singh who was at number 2 at the end of both Q1 and Q2, ends this quarter as the leading wicket taker in the IPL. His success has played an important role in Deccan Chargers holding on to a place in the top 4.

RP's rise however has been helped by the fact that Kings XI Punjab have kept Yusuf Abdullah out of the team for the last 2 matches due to the return of Brett Lee. I feel that is a bit harsh on the man who was the leading wicket taker of the IPL till Q2.

Malinga has been consistent throughout the IPL staying among the top 5 bowlers in all quarters, despite being a bit more expensive lately.

While Balaji has surprised one and all by holding on to the 5th position since the end of Q2.

I was a bit shocked to see Nehra among the top 5 bowlers but then realised how well he had bowled in the last few matches for the Daredevils.

The race towards the purple cap seems to be between RP, Malinga, and Nehra, and I sense that its going to go to Sri Lanka.

Left handers dominate the top 5 bowlers as well with 3 of them of that variety.

What is it with left handers and the IPL? The Orange Cap and Purple Cap winners of IPL 2008 were both left handers!

Its interesting to note that there are no spinners among the top 5 bowlers despite all the talk about the impact the spinners have had in this IPL. However, there are 4 spinners in the top 10.

Other Stats
Highest Team Score: 211-4, RR vs KXIP
Highest Individual Score: 105*, AB De Villiers (DDD) vs CSK
Best Strike Rate (min 150 runs): 164.61, Dwayne Smith (DC)
Most Sixes: 17, Matthew Hayden (CSK)
Best Bowling Performance: 5-5, Anil Kumble (BRC) vs RR
Best Economy Rate (min 18 overs): 5.63, Harbhajan Singh (MI)

Finally 200 was surpassed during Q3 and it was none other than by the defending champions who scored 211-4 against the Kings XI.

Given the strong batting line ups of CSK, DDD, DC, and Kings XI it sure was a surprise to see a relatively weaker Rajasthan Royals become the first and only team to score more than 200 in this season of the IPL.

AB De Villiers' unbeaten 105 remains the top score by a batsman, while Dwayne Smith still has the best strike rate, which in fact is higher than the rate he had at the end of Q2.

Hayden's 6 sixes in one match against the Kings XI has enabled him to overtake his former opening partner Adam Gilchrist in the number of 6s hit by a batsman in the IPL this season. Though he leads by only 1.

No one has yet been able to better Kumble's performance in the very first match of this IPL, while Bhajji gives Straight Points some food for thought regarding his economical performances for MI.

The final quarter of the IPL starts tomorrow and ends in about 8 days from now. Almost the last week of the tournament and we're still not sure about the final 4 - this is what I call the beauty of the IPL.

We'll be back with the Q4 report at the end of the group stages.

29 of the 56 group matches have been played.

We're into the 2nd half of the tournament.

Yet no one can place a safe bet on who the semi-finalists will be.

It is so damn close that a mere 2 points separate the team at the top of the table (Chennai Super Kings) and the team that is sitting at number 7 (Rajasthan Royals).

Only 2!

So who are going to be the final 4?

Deccan Chargers looked like they will breeze into the semis with 4 wins on the trot; but since then they have lost 3 consecutive matches and suddenly find themselves placed 4th.

Chennai Super Kings had an awful start to their campaign winning 1 of their first 5 matches with 1 washed out; but now all of a sudden they are on a 3 match winning spree and find themselves at the top of the table!

Royal Challengers Bangalore kicked off their IPL just where they left their 2008 campaign by losing everything. Within a week, they had played 4 and lost 4. Then some magic kicked in and now they are on a 4 match winning streak.

Delhi Daredevils began as the favorites and played like ones too, till they came across the defending champions and a rampaging CSK.

The defending champs, Rajasthan Royals have had a mixed campaign. Lose one, win one, lose one, win one, lose one, win one. Atleast that has kept them in the chase.

The Mumbai Indians campaign has just been like the Royals; the only difference being that they win one before they lose the next.

Its only apt then that the Mumbai vs Rajasthan match was washed out and both the teams shared a point each.

Kings XI Punjab has also had a mixed bag starting by losing 2, then winning their next 3 before losing another and winning another.

Boy has it been a roller coaster ride.

Any bets on the semis then?

The only bet I can place is that the Kolkata Knight Riders will not be anywhere near the semis.

That's the best part about the IPL - it keeps the teams in the hunt till the very end.

Was the same last year.

I have heard a lot about Dirk Nannes.

Mostly from Jrod over at Cricket with Balls.

Nannes is a Victorian after all.

Jrod has also talked about how he doesn't understand why Nannes hasn't played for Australia yet.

He wasn't even announced in Australia's 30 probables for the World 20-20 despite being considered the best 20-20 bowler in the country!

Hearing about him wasn't enough though.

I had to see him to decide for myself if Nannes was that good.

Thanks to the IPL, I've been following Nannes closely.

The fact that he was in the side ahead of Glen McGrath surprised me initially, but I figured that the Delhi Daredevils were also thinking on the same lines as Jrod.

In the first few matches Nannes failed to pick up a wicket, but he bowled quite well. He was hard to get away and he was fast. He troubled batsmen.

Though I wondered why the wickets weren't coming his way.

Then he finally struck.

That too with the first ball of the match clean bowling Jacques Kallis who had no idea what hit him as he was trying to shoulder arms to a brute of a delivery.

First ball of the match!

Nannes celebrated and it started dawning on me what all that talk was about.

But today, I was completely convinced.

2-16 in 4 overs against a team that boasts of Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Rohit Sharma, and Dwayne Smith.

Now that is some bowling.

Getting rid of the best opening pair in the IPL in a matter of 2 overs and getting the better of the best team in the IPL this year and here I am now also wondering what the hell are the Aussies thinking keeping him out of the team?

If yesterday was the battle of the titanics, today is the mother of all IPL matches.

Its the Delhi Daredevils against the Deccan Chargers!

The top 2 teams in the IPL this year.

The Chargers are unbeaten so far, while the Daredevils started the tournament as favorites, which they still are despite the 1 loss to the defending champions.

It promises to be a great battle today.

It will be a battle between the opening pairs - Deccan boasting of one of the best, while Delhi having one that is THE best but has failed to fire in the IPL.

The pair that gets going will take the game away I feel. If both of them do, we will be in for a treat!

It will be a battle between the attacking bowlers - RP Singh is one of the leading wicket takers in the IPL, while Edwards has been in firing form. For Delhi, Nannes is one of the best 20-20 bowlers in the world.

Nannes to Gilchrist, RP to Sehwag and Gambhir. It'll be a sight!

It will be a battle between the spinners - Ojha has been the best spinner on display in the IPL this year and is also among the leading wicket takers, while Vettori is the highest wicket taker in 20-20 internationals.

Vettori was taken apart by Yusuf Pathan the other day so he'll be seeking redemption.

It definitely looks like a cracker is on the cards, but as it happens with most matches like these, I hope its not a dampner!

DAVID WARNER

I don't think there's a connection but in case you're wondering, David Warner is the 22 year old Australian who is playing his first international match for Australia as I write.

Warner has created waves in the current domestic season in Australia with his awesome hitting, which eventually led to his elevation to Australia's T20 squad for the match against South Africa.

"I'm going to be in the same dressing room with the guys I've looked up to all my life. Just to be next to them is going to be very, very special and I might actually ask for some autographs."

Thats what Warner said when he heard of his selection.

After his 89 off 43 deliveries today, Ponting & Co. might be asking for his autograph!

Six 6s and Seven 4s.

He was up against Ntini, Steyn, the other Morkel, Kallis. Even Botha!

This is what he did to Steyn:

5.2 Steyn to Warner, SIX, what a shot! That was bowled at 149.8 kmh and Warner merely turned around and helped the ball over the fine-leg boundary with an audacious paddle shot, fine leg was in the circle, Steyn can't believe it

5.3 Steyn to Warner, SIX, 52 off 19 balls! Warner gets there by charging and pulling the short ball high and far over deep midwicket, this guy has awesome hand-eye co-ordination, and terrific bat speed

Warner missed the chance of becoming the first man to score a ton on his T20 debut, but his 89 put him second on the list of highest scorers on T20 debut, only behind his captain.

And his 50 off 19 deliveries is the second fastest 50 in 20-20 internationals.

Those are not his only achievements this season as Moses and Jrod would tell you.

According to Moses, Warner's unbeaten 165 off a mere 112 deliveries against Tasmania is the highest score by New South Wales batsman in history. He batted only 34.1 overs for that!

If Jrod is to be believed, Warner is the first non Indian without first class experience to be recruited by an IPL franchise.

I believe Jrod. Warner has signed up with the Delhi Daredevils.

Can you just imagine a top order that reads:

1. Sehwag
2. Gambhir
3. Warner

!!!

All of 22, second highest score on international 20-20 debut, second fastest 50 in T20Is, highest One Day score for his state team, and the first non Indian without first class experience to sign with the IPL.

And this is just the start!

It took 41 days and 56 matches for the IPL to reach the business end of the tournament.

It seems long but its flown by.

One key reason why the 41 days didn't seem that long was because the Final Four was only decided on the 39th & 40th day.

This kept the interest in the IPL alive, unlike the ICC World Cups of 2003 and 2007.

The RACE to the Final Four has ended and now the RACE to the top begins.

There's one thing common about the Final Four - The Aussie connection.

Rajasthan Royals - captained and coached by Shane Warne, key player is Shane Watson.

Kings XI Punjab - coached by Tom Moody, key players are Shaun Marsh & Luke Pomersbach.

Delhi Daredevils - coached by Greg Shipperd, who Uncle J will tell you is the best 20-20 coach in the world. Glenn McGrath is their key bowler.

Chennai Super Kings - Hayden & Hussey left long time ago but their coach is Kepler Wessels, former Aussie opener.



Semi Final 1 (Friday, 30th May): Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils

The Daredevils is one of the only 2 teams who have beaten Shane Warne's Royals in the IPL (they have a match left against Kings XI tonight). That was the Royals' first match and they haven't looked back since then.

Shane Warne has turned the team into an invincible unit and the Royals' victory march has paraded on.

They are the only team who have won all their 7 games at home, and one of the only 2 teams who have won 6 games on the trot. They can make that 7 tonight.

The Daredevils on the other hand started off with a bang winning their first few matches without breaking a sweat. But then they fumbled a bit. A solitary point in a washed out game allowed their entry into the semis.

They started the tournament as one of the strongest sides but didn't look it as the tournament went on.

The 1st semi has all the ingredients to be a gruelling affair.

It pits 2 of the leading run scorers in the IPL - Gambhir & Sehwag - against 2 of the leading wicket takers - Sohail Tanvir & Shane Warne.

Its a battle between 2 retired Aussie legends - Glenn McGrath & Shane Warne.

Its a battle between 2 Victorians - Greg Shipperd & Shane Warne.

Tanvir, the leading wicket taker, will bowl the first over to Gambhir, the leading run scorer. Remember Tanvir's flying kiss to Gambhir?

Their league games stand at 1-1 so there's nothing to chose between the 2.

I sense the Daredevils will come out on top. The Royals' party will come to an end, as it does with most weak teams on paper who do extremely well in the league stages of a tournament.

Whose your pick?


Semi Final 2 (Saturday, 31st May): Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings

Dhoni's Super Kings have had the upper hand over Yuvraj's Kings XI in both the league games.

The first loss was one of Kings XI's first 2 losses, after which Priety Zinta's hugs started doing the tricks and all the Kings' men won game after game.

They go into this game as the 2nd best team in the league stages.

They have the best bowling attack in the tournament with Sreesanth, Pathan, and Chawla all featuring in the top 10 wicket takers.

The emergence of Shaun Marsh and the return of Kumar Sangakkara makes their batting look unstoppable. Add Yuvraj, Jayawardene, and Luke Pomersbach to that and it looks quite invincible.

The Super Kings began their campaign strongly but then lost a few after Hayden & Hussey left the ranks. They picked up again but have relied too heavily on Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

The 2nd semi also dishes out exciting contests:

MS Dhoni, the Indian captain takes on Yuvraj Singh, the Indian Vice Captain. Only one will go forward.

Murali takes on his captain and vice captain - Jayawardene & Sangakkara.
Ntini bowls well at left handers and here he will get as many as 4 in the top 6.

India's leading pacers - Sreesanth & Pathan will try and stop their international captain from hitting the straps as Sanga keeps wicket to them.

The Super Kings will do extremely well to stop Kings XI from going forward.

The Kings just look too strong and they're backed by Priety Zinta's warm hugs and the numerous incentives that she has promised the players like cars and gifts and so on.

Whose your pick?

The final on Sunday to me looks like an all Northern clash between Delhi & Mohali!

You just have to feel sorry for the Mumbai Indians.

They were the first team to win 6 matches on the trot in the Indian Premier League.

That too after losing the first 4 and looking like the worst team in the IPL. Worse than the Royal Challengers and the Chargers.

After that 6 match winning streak they lost 3 on the trot. Their last 3.

But thats not what you feel sorry for. Its how they lost the 3 is what you feel sorry for.

6 Days Ago

They played Kings XI Punjab.

Chasing 189 they looked well set to get there needing 34 of the last 4 overs with 7 wickets in hand and Sachin at the crease.

Over the next 4 overs they lost a few wickets and ended up needing 19 of the last over. Tough but they managed to take it down to 2 of the last ball.

The batsman got run out and MI lost by 1 run of the final ball.

3 Days Ago

They played Delhi Daredevils.

Defending 176, they had them down at 130-5 after 15 overs.

Karthik took the game away from them, however they still needed 8 of the last over, and then 2 of the last 2 before the ball went for a boundary.

MI lost by 5 wickets of the penultimate ball.

1 Day Ago

They played Rajasthan Royals.

Defending 146, they had them down and out at 103-5 after 17 overs.

A couple of overs later they were left defending 15 of the last over. It should have been easy. A few stolen singles, misfields, and a six later it came down to 3 of the last ball.

All they needed to do was keep the batsman down to 1. What does the bowler do? He bowls a wide!

MI defending 2 of 1. The batsman hits to the bowler. Bowler misfields. Batsmen run 1 and turn back for 2nd. Long off throws the ball in. Fielder on stumps misses. Batsman through for 2.

MI lose by 5 wickets of final ball.

You really have to feel sorry for them.

What they have done now is made their last match against the Royal Challengers a must win one.

Not only that but for MI to go through, the Super Kings have to lose today otherwise Sachin and his men in blue will head back home.

What they have also done is that they have ensured a Final Four spot for the Delhi Daredevils.

Finally, a team that I supported at some stage is there!

RACE, the bollywood movie, had more twists and turns before the climax than the world's largest rollercoaster.

It had the viewer hooked and jumping at every shocking turn the movie took.

The IPL RACE has been quite similar.

Soulberry here contemplates who could take the 2 spots that are up for graps in the Final Four, while Homer here revisits his predictions for the Final Four.

The story though is that its not 2 but 3 spots up for grabs.

Apart from the Rajhastan Royals, no one has garanteed a semi final spot yet. Not even the Kings XI after their dramatic 1 run win over the Mumbai Indians.

Plus with RCB shocking the daylights out of the Super Kings just the way their brand amabassador Katrina Kaif did in RACE, anything can happen and everything is open ended.

Any 3 out of the Kings XI, Super Kings, Indians, Daredevils, and the Knight Riders can join the Royals in the Final Four.

The RACE is still on and the climax is near.

But who will make it?

The Knight Riders play the Daredevils tonight. Its a very crucial match for the Riders, because if they lose, the RACE for them is all over. But if they win the RACE goes on. 2 points for the Riders tonight!

Tomorrow its the Kings XI against the Deccan Chargers. Deccan have hardly won, however with RCB's inspirational victory over CSK last night they could be pumped up to get a victory or 2 under their belt. Kings XI are too strong though. 2 points for the Kings XI.

Saturday is a BIG day. Its CSK vs RR and DDD vs MI. That's going to be huge.

CSK would need to win given their loss to RCB last night but the Royals have been on a roll and I don't see them losing before the semi finals, even if they try some new faces. 2 points for the Royals.

DDD and MI, both in the RACE for the semis will be in a must win situation. Soulberry tells me that the Monsoons have hit Delhi and rains could have the final say. Well then I say a point each here.

The 1st match on Sunday, RCB vs DC will be an irrelevant one in the context of the RACE.

The 2nd one though is KKR vs Kings XI and it will be another must win game for the Riders. I'm putting my top dollar on them. KKR will fight it till the end. Another 2 points to KKR.

On Monday we will finally see what we haven't yet in the IPL. As the Indians take on the Royals, it will be the epic battle between Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. Going with history, I'd give this one to the Indians. 2 points to the Indians.

CSK with their backs towards the wall will take on the Chargers on Tuesday. For them it will be a must win game since KKR and MI would have gone ahead after their victories. But the Chargers in their last game of the tournament will give it everything. I see CSK going down. Sorry Ottayan. 2 points for the Chargers.

Wednesday, the final day of the group stages will see a top of the table clash between the Royals and the Kings XI and an irrelevant match between MI and RCB. 2 Points for RR and MI here.

That then will make the points table look like this:

1. Rajasthan Royals 22
2. Kings XI Punjab 18
3. Mumbai Indians 17
4. Kolkata Knight Riders 14
5. Chennai Super Kings 14
6. Delhi Daredevils 13

KKR have a better NRR currently, and with them winning their next 2 matches, they will maintain that lead.

Now lets say the rains stay away from Delhi and the Daredevils beat the Mumbai Indians. MI will still qualify, but then it will be 3 teams on 14 points - KKR, CSK, and DDD. As of now DDD have the better NRR so it will probably be them nosing ahead of KKR.

Now what if Kings XI lose against the Chargers. They will remain on 16 points then and their NRR will worsen because of 3 consecutive losses.

MI will also be on 16 since the game against DDD was not a washout.

Plus if CSK beat the Royals, it would put them on 16 as well.

And if DDD beat KKR tonight, and they win the game against MI on Saturday, they would be on 16 as well.

KKR will miss out then definitely with 4 teams on 16 points jostling for 3 positions.

The Kings XI could still miss out on NRR.

Mindboggling?

So was the bollywood movie.

The RACE is on and its for 3 places of the Final Four.

Who would have thought that Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan, and Mukesh Ambani would be fighting it out with GMR Holdings and India Cements for honours on a cricket field.

Or for that matter Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni - each one who has either been a captain or a vice captain of the Indian cricket team - competing for spots in the Final Four.

It is the last week of the IPL group stages and it promises to be the most exciting one.

(NOTE: All times are UAE standard time, +4h GMT)

This is what the weekend would have looked like if we had an international weekend, i.e. Saturday / Sunday.

Saturday 24th May 2007

1:00pm: Alarm Rings. Press Snooze.

1:05pm: Alarm Rings. Press Snooze Again.

1:10pm: Alarm Rings. Press Stop. Get up and sit. Look outside the window. Change Alarm to 1:30pm and sleep again.

1:30pm: Alarm Rings. Jump out of bed.

2:00pm: Fox Sports. England vs New Zealand 2nd Test LIVE from Old Trafford.

2:30pm: Switch to Prime Sports. Chennai Super Kings vs Rajhastan Royals LIVE from Chennai.

2:30-6:00pm: Keep switching from Prime to Fox and back.

6:00pm: Fox Sports. Watch end of Session 2 on Day 1 of England vs New Zealand.

6:30pm: Prime Sports. Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians LIVE from Delhi.

7:00pm: Ten Sports. Day 2 of Australia vs West Indies 1st Test LIVE from Kingston, Jamaica.

7:15pm: Switch back to Prime and IPL match.

7:15-10:00pm: Keep switching from Prime to Ten and back.

10:00pm: Ten Sports. Last session and a half between Australia and West Indies.

2:00am: Go out.

3:30am: Come back home. Watch LOST.

5:00am: Set alarm for 1:00pm. Sleep.


Sunday 25th May 2007.

1:00pm: Repeat above.